Last spring I was talking with a friend from Ottawa who now calls Nova Scotia her home. We were discussing fun things to do for afternoon and weekend trips in Nova Scotia. I shared some ideas with her, and I could not believe how many things she had not tried or experienced yet. She told me she was going to start a Nova Scotia bucket list! I thought what a great idea; from all of the festivals, beaches, historical sites, food, music, tours, national and provincial parks, wild rugged coasts to beautiful inland treasures of all kinds, I couldn't wait to start my own.

By the time early August rolls around, the heat really starts to set in and relief can be found with a nice, cold beer. Luckily for us in Nova Scotia, who are continuing to enjoy one of the finest summers in our collective weather memory, a balmy Friday evening was the perfect setting for the first of three tastings for the 2012 Halifax Seaport Beerfest.

Life in Nova Scotia is tied to the sea in many ways. What better way to get to know Nova Scotia better than to enjoy a lovely summer day sailing in the Harbour on the Tall Ship Silva? As part of my Summer 2012 commitment to be a "hometown traveler," I knew my summer was going to be incomplete until getting out on the water.

We were looking for a back country hike not far from Halifax. We decided on the smallest hiking loop within the Bluffs Wilderness Trails; called Pot Lake loop.

We parked the car at the closest parking lot along the old route 3 and walked about 400m along the rail to trail BLT to the actual Bluffs trail head. The BLT is itself a fantastic multi-use trail that you can feasibly bike from downtown Halifax to Mahone Bay.

More than 120 cruise vessels visited the Port of Halifax this season, bringing over 240,000 passengers to our region.

Annually, cruise accounts for about eight per cent of all tourism traffic in Nova Scotia, contributing approximately $50 million in economic impact.

"It has been another tremendous season for cruise in Halifax," said Halifax Port Authority Manager of Cruise Development, Cathy McGrail. "We've maintained visitor totals well over 200,000 for four years running, which is a tremendous accomplishment and a boon for the city and province."

The loss of the White Star Liner RMS Titanic needs no introduction for anyone alive today. On its maiden voyage in 1912 the great vessel suffered irreversible damage, after a glancing blow from an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on 14 April 1912 opened five water-tight compartments to the in-rushing sea. At 2:20 a.m. the following day, 15 April, the technological marvel of the Edwardian Age sank.

Hearses lined up on Halifax wharf, near present jetty 4 in HMCS Dockyard to take R.M.S. Titanic victims recovered by C.S. Minia.

Whether you're visiting from out of town or you've lived here all your life, it's good to know there's plenty to do around Halifax that won't cost you a penny.

Let's start with the art galleries. Just a few blocks from Celebration Square, the Anna Leonowens Gallery is named after the famous heroine of The King and I who went on to establish the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design. There and at NSCAD's new Port Loggia Gallery, you can view exhibitions featuring art by NSCAD University students and faculty. And be sure to check out our other university art galleries too. Dalhousie, Saint Mary's and Mount Saint Vincent all have excellent public art programming, and admission is always free.